Nanotechnology

Program Lead

Program Description

Nanotechnology allows scientists to precisely engineer devices and materials by manipulating matter at the level of atoms and molecules. The unique chemical and physical properties of nanomaterials have led to exciting applications in medicine, industry, and consumer products. But these same properties can also pose unique and unknown health risks.

The overarching goal of the NIEHS Nanotechnology Environmental Health and Safety (Nano EHS) program is to gain fundamental understanding of how nanomaterial properties can affect interactions within the body. The knowledge gained can be used to predict potential health effects and guide the design of safer next-generation nanomaterials.

NIEHS-supported grantees are also using nanotechnology to detect and remove contaminants from the environment and to develop new tools for studying how contaminants affect our cells.

The NIEHS Centers for Nanotechnology Health Implications Research Consortium brings together five research centers and three smaller projects to study the health risks associated with nanomaterials. A second consortium consisting of grantees funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act evaluated the safety of engineered nanomaterials, developed common protocols for safety assessment, and created new tools for integrating, assessing, and sharing knowledge.

The NIEHS also supports research projects that utilize nanotechnology for environmental exposure assessment, environmental remediation measures, small business innovative research (SBIR), and small business technology transfer research (STTR).